Co-stars part two
Born Maria Magdalena Dietrich 27 December 1901 Schöneberg, Germany, Born in a small town outside Berlin, her father was a police lieutenant and imbued in her a military attitude to life. Marlene was known in school for 'bedroom eyes' and her first affairs were at this stage in her life - a professor at the school was terminated. She entered the cabaret scene in 1920s Germany, first as a spectator then as a cabaret singer. In 1924 she married, and although she and Rudy lived together only 5 years they remained married until his death. She was in over a dozen silent films in increasingly important roles. In 1929 she was seen in a Berlin cabaret by Josef von Sternberg and after a screen test captured the role of the cabaret singer in Blaue Engel, Der 1930 and became von Sternberg's lover. With the success of this film, von Sternberg immediately took her to Hollywood, introducing her to the world in Morocco 1930. In 1939 an offer came to star with James Stewart in a western, and after initial hesitation she accepted. The film was Destry Rides Again 1939 the siren of film could also be a comedienne and a remarkable comeback was reality. She toured extensively for the allied effort in WW II she had become a United States citizen. Marlene appeared in four films with John Wayne Seven Sinners 1940, The Spoilers, 1942, Pittsburgh 1942, That's Action 1977, Marlene died on 6 May 1992 Paris, France.
Born George Randolph Scott on 23 January 1898 Orange County, Virginia, USA, This handsome 6ft 2" leading man who developed into one of Hollywood's greatest most popular Western stars. Born to George and Lucy Crane Scott during a visit to Virginia, Scott was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended Georgia Institute of Technology, but after being injured playing football, he transferred to the University of North Carolina, from which he graduated with a degree in textile engineering and manufacturing. He discovered acting and went to California, where he met Howard Hughes, who got him extra work in films. He had a screen test for the lead in 'Cecil B. DeMille's' Dynamite 1929, a role which went instead to Joel McCrea. He was offered a contract with Paramount, he moved rapidly into leading roles at Paramount, but it was not until he began focusing on Westerns in the late Forties that he reached his greatest stardom. He became one of the top box-office stars of the Fifties and, in the Westerns of Budd Boetticher especially, a critically important figure in the Western. Randolph appeared with John Wayne in The Black Watch 1929, Pittsburgh 1942,The Spoilers 1942, Randolph died on 2 March 1987 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Born Patsy Louise Neal born on 20 January 1926, in Packard, Kentucky, USA. Even in her youth, growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, she recognized her interest in acting and frequently recited monologues at church and other gatherings. As a Christmas present from her parents, she was given acting lessons when she was 12. Her teacher was Emily Mahan Faust of Knoxville. Following graduation from high school, she enrolled in speech and drama at Northwestern University. After two years, she joined her drama coach, Alvina Krause, for summer theatre in Eaglesmere, Pennsylvania. At the summer's end, she packed a suitcase, caught a train, and headed for New York. Now calling herself Patricia instead of Patsy Louise, she was cast by the Theatre Guild in the summer theatre production of Devil Take the Whistler, where she was seen by Lillian Hellman. Miss Hellman offered her a part in Another Part of the Forest, for which she received several awards; among them the Tony (Antoinette Perry) and the Drama Critics Award for Best New Actress. She had become a star, and she was not yet 20. She appeared in two films with John Operation Pacific 1951, In Harm's Way 1965. On February 17, 1965, when she was three months pregnant, she suffered a series of strokes which left her partially paralyzed. Undaunted, Miss Neal began a successful struggle through years of rehabilitation. Her fifth child, Lucy was born healthy. Her two other daughters, Tessa and Ophelia, along with Theo and Lucy are grown now and living in the U.S. and England. Patricia passed away on August 8, 2010 in Edgartown, Massachusetts, USA.
Born Jeanette Helen Morrison born on 6 July 1927 in Merced, California, USA, Janet was an only child of a couple who often moved from town to town. Living in apartments, Janet was a bright child who skipped several grades and finished high school when she was 15. As a lonely child, she would spend much of her time at movie theaters. She was a student, studying music and psychology, at the University of the Pacific until she was "discovered" visiting her parents in Northern California. Her father was working the desk at a ski resort where her mother worked as a maid. Retired MGM actress Norma Shearer saw a picture of Janet on the front desk and asked if she could borrow it. This led to a screen test at MGM and a starring role in 'The Romance of Rosy Ridge 1947'. MGM was looking for a young naive country girl and Janet Leigh filled the bill perfectly. She would play the young ingenue in a number of films and work with the leading stars, including, Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Orson Welles and Judy Garland. Her career would include a number of successful movies including 'Little Women 1949, Angels in the Outfield 1951, Scaramouche 1952, Houdini 1953, 'The Black Shield of Falworth 1954 and many others, Janet starred in Jet Pilot 1957 with John Wayne. Picture from Jet Pilot. Janet passed away on 3 October 2004, Beverly Hills, California, United States.
Born Stuart Maxwell Whitman on 1 February 1926 in San Francisco, California, USA, The son of a realtor, he graduated from high school in Los Angeles and spent three post-war years with the Army Corps of Engineers. In the army he won 32 fights as a light-heavyweight boxer. Upon his discharge from service, he attended Los Angeles City College, where his interest in acting emerged. He studied at the Los Angeles Academy of Dramatic Art and with Michael Chekhov and Ben Bard. He toured the U.S. in a stage company of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and began to get small roles in television and film. Eventually his athleticism, his handsome features, and his talent for portraying either tough or vulnerable characters led him to a level of stardom. He won an Academy Award nomination for his leading role of a child molester in The Mark 1961, and starred in the television series "Cimarron Strip" 1967. He appeared in two films with John Wayne The Comancheros 1961, and The Longest Day 1962. Stuart passed away on March 16, 2020 age 92 in Montecito, California, USA
Born Elsa Tia on 13 January 1935 in Grosseto, Italy The official story was that Italian actress Elsa Martinelli was discovered for movies when Kirk Douglas spotted her on a 1954 magazine cover. Actually, Martinelli had been playing bit parts in Italian films since 1950, and had been a professional model since her early teens. Her first and only screen appearance while under contract to Douglas' Bryna Productions was The Indian Fighter 1955. The film should have made her a star, but (at least according to Douglas) Martinelli exercised nothing but bad judgment thereafter, taking parts that exploited her physical attributes but allowed her acting skills to atrophy. Finally, Douglas threw in the towel, telling Martinelli that she'd have to pay him to work for Bryna again. With such notable exceptions as Orson Welles The Trial 1962. Martinelli never had a part as good as her Native American heroine in The Indian Fighter She retired from film making in the mid-1980s, making an unheralded return appearance in the inconsequential all-star comedy Once Upon a Crime 1992 Elsa Martinelli is the mother of actress Cristiana Mancinelli. She only appeared in one film with John Wayne Hatari! 1962. Elsa passed away on 8 July 2017, Rome, Italy.
Born on 17 September 1930 in Vinton, Virginia, USA. King-sized American character David Huddleston spent four years in the Air Force before receiving his acting training at the AADA. Huddleston made his first fleeting screen appearance in All the Way Home 1963, and began his stage career in 1965. His breakthrough film assignment was as the corpulent outlaw leader in the sleeper Bad Company 1972 . Later roles include Mayor Olson Johnson in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles 1974 and the title role in Santa Claus the Movie 1990. He played recurring parts in the weekly TV series Tenafly and Petrocelli, and was starred in The Kallikaks 1977 and Hizzoner 1979. David Huddleston is the father of actor Michael Huddleston. He appeared in two films with the Duke Rio Lobo 1970, McQ 1974. Picture from Rio Lobo, David passed away on 2 August 2016, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States.
Born Joanne Letitia LaCock 31 January 1922 Logan, West Virginia, USA, The daughter of a West Virginia druggist, Joanne Dru came to New York in 1940. In New York, she worked as a model and was cast by Al Jolson, as one of the showgirls in his broadway play "Hold Onto Your Hats". When the show closed in 1941, Joanne married popular singer Dick Haymes and went with him to Hollywood. Discovered by a talent scout while working in the theater, Joanne made her screen debut in a film called 'Abie's Irish Rose (1946)', and that picture almost ended her career. Two years later, she would become well known with her role of Tess in the classic Western 'Red River (1948)'. She followed that with another Western titled 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)', again playing opposite John Wayne. With two of the best Westerns directed by Ford and Hawks, the scripts submitted to her were predominately Western and she became typecast. This was from a woman who said "I simply hated horses...". In 1950, she was cast in another Western called 'Wagon Master (1950)' which became the basis for the Ward Bond Television Series called "Wagon Train (1957)". Even though she did other roles besides Westerns, those roles were not what she is remembered for. Joanne died on 10 September 1996 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA. Picture from Red River.
Born Isaac Johnny John, to the Onondaga Nation, he was the proud warrior-chief who posed for the James Fraser portrait on the Buffalo nickel. Beginning in 1915, Chief John Big Tree performed in more than 100 western movies. His first appearance was in John Ford's epic film, The Iron Horse 1924 Fox Film Corp. From there, he moved on to M-G-M and supported Tim McCoy in his Westerns of the late 1920s. For many years he was the dean of Hollywood's Indian colony but he never accepted a role that reflected badly on his race. During the sound era, he appeared in The Big Trail 1930 directed by Raoul Walsh and starring John Wayne. John Ford called upon Chief Big Tree once again to grace two more Westerns that would become classics - Stagecoach 1939 United Artists, and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon 1949 RKO, both starring John Wayne. Picture from She Wore A Yellow Ribbon. Chief John Big Tree died on 6 July 1967 on the Onondaga Indian Reservation, New York, USA.
Born Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner on 8 February 1921 Wallace, Idaho, USA there is some discrepancy as to whether her birth date is February 8, 1920 or 1921. Lana herself said in her autobiography that she was one year younger 1921 than the records showed, but then this was a time where women, especially actresses, tended to "fib" a bit about their age. Most sources agree that 1920 is the correct year of birth. In 1929, her father was murdered and it was shortly thereafter her mother moved her and the family to California where jobs were "plentiful". Once she matured into a beautiful young woman, she sought after something that would last forever. Stardom. She wasn't found at a drug store counter like some would have you believe, but the legend persists. She pounded the pavement that other would be actors and actresses have done in search of movie roles. In 1937, Lana entered the movie world, at 17 years old, with small parts in They Won't Forget, The Great Garrick, and A Star Is Born. The films didn't bring Lana a lot of notoriety, but it was a start. In 1938, Lana had another small part in Love Finds Andy Hardy starring Mickey Rooney. By the 1940's Lana was firmly entrenched in the film colony. Good roles found her in such films as Johnny Eager 1941, Somewhere I'll Find You 1942, and Weekend At The Waldorf 1945. She appeared in John Wayne's film The Sea Chase 1955. Sadly Lana died on 29 June 1995 in Century City, California, USA, and is sadly missed.
Noah Beery Jnr born on 10 August 1913 in New York, New York, USA, Familiar and well-liked character actor of very different persona than either his father Noah Beery or his uncle Wallace Beery. He attended Harvard Military Academy, but managed to make a number of appearances on film and on stage with his father before adulthood. At age 19 he began playing amiable second leads and occasional leading roles, primarily Westerns, before settling into what would be the pattern for much of his career: good-natured supporting roles, usually as a pal of the hero. He kept going in such parts into his late seventies, transforming slowly into warm rustic sages, He recieved great renown as the father of the James Garner character in The Rockford Files. He appeared in three films with the Duke, Picture from The Trail Beyond 1934. Noah died on 1 November 1994 in Tehachapi, California, USA.
Birth name Robert Chandler Oakes born 4 June 1899 in Culbertson, Montana, USA American actor who had a brief flirtation with stardom before settling into character roles and bit parts. Born in rural South Dakota according to government records, though some sources say Walsh County, North Dakota) as Robert C. Oakes, the son of a horse rancher, he moved with his family to Culbertson, Montana not his birthplace as some sources have it, where he grew up. The family moved again and he graduated from high school in Helena. A brief attendance at Montana Wesleyan College was interrupted by the offer of a job driving a tour bus in Yellowstone National Park. Drifting down to Los Angeles in the early 1920s, he got work as an auto mechanic, but his ranch-honed cowboy skills got him bit parts in pictures at Paramount when director John Waters II offered him work in a series of Westerns. Paramount recognized possibilities in the tall, rugged, handsome cowboy and gave him a new name, Lane Chandler and gave him some leading roles, first in Westerns, then in contemporary films opposite some of the biggest star actresses of the time. He appeared in nine films with the Wayne. Lane died on 14 September 1972 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Born Bruce MacLeish Dern on 4 June 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. A tall, slender Method-trained actor, Bruce Dern has utilized his good looks and striking blue eyes in both heroic and villainous roles. Director Elia Kazan saw the young actor in a production of Sean O' Casey's Shadow of a Gunman 1959, auditioned and trained Dern at the Actors Studio and later cast the performer in Wild River 1960. Dern moved easily between TV and features. On the small screen, he made guest appearances on shows from Wagon Train to The Fugitive and was a regular on the Western series Stoney Burke 1962-63. On the big screen, he was a sailor in Hitchcock's Marnie 1964 and Bette Davis' victim in Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte 1964. In 1966, Dern hooked up with Roger Corman and appeared in a number of films for American International, including The Wild Angels 1966, The St Valentine's Day Massacre 1967, The Trip 1967 and Bloody Mama 1970. One of his personal quotes is "Because I'm the only actor who ever killed John Wayne in a picture, producers have pegged me for a villain." Bruce as appeared in two films with John Wayne. Picture from The War Wagon 1967.
Born Nancy Olson on 14 July 1928 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA This girl-next-door actress, discovered while in college at UCLA, briefly played leads in Hollywood in the early 1950s and returned as supportive wives in Disney's family films of the 60s. Although she had no acting experience, Olson played a role in Canadian Pacific 1949 and attracted attention as the second female lead in Billy Wilder's brilliant black comedy, Sunset Boulevard 1950. Although she was outshone by Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Erich von Stroheim, she received a supporting Oscar nomination for her work. She appeared with John in only one film which was Big Jim McLain 1952. She married songwriter Alan Jay Lerner, Olson, after playing several second leads So Big 1953 a TV version of The Women 1955, with Olson as the gentle Peggy, retired from acting. After divorcing Lerner, she returned with the first of five films for Disney over the next dozen years, Pollyanna 1960, and was back to helpful homemaker parts for The Absent-Minded Professor 1960, Son of Flubber 1963 and Smith! 1969.
Guinn Williams born on 26 April 1899 in Decatur, Texas, USA, A prolific character actor and occasional star of low-budget Westerns, this burly redhead actually was a cowboy in his youth, he also played professional baseball for a time before entering the movie business in 1919. Reportedly nicknamed "Big Boy" by Will Rogers when he worked with the comedian in Jubilo 1919. He's particularly memorable as Jeff, the sadistic gangster in The Glass Key 1935, Williams continued to appear in Westerns, of both A and B caliber, throughout the rest of his career. He appeared in five films with John Wayne The Forward Pass 1929, Noah's Ark 1929, College Coach 1933, The Alamo 1960, The Comancheros 1961, Guinn's last film incidentally was The Comancheros Guinn died on 6 June 1962 in Burbank, California, USA. Picture from The Comancheros 1961.